REARING AND TRAINING OF CHILDREN. 205 



capital, and at the same time very practical, little book on 

 "Camping Out" was published two or three years ago. 

 It is full of helpful instruction about making tents, 

 building camps, what supplies are needed, how to cook 

 game, and how to make the whole business a comfortable 

 and jolly recreation, instead of a laborious pursuit of 

 bad colds ! Every boy should have this book. 



If you wish your children to love you, and also to 

 respect you, do not be constantly scolding and nagging 

 them. Calm, earnest rebuke is one thing, and snappish, 

 angry scolding is another. We often see children in- 

 stantly and cheerfully obey the father, while the mother 

 drives them with little pushes and repeated commands, 

 and sometimes a shake or a blow, before her wishes are 

 acceded to. Why is there this difference ? Because the 

 father is of few words and means what he says, and the 

 poor mother is a worried, nervous, fluttering woman, 

 without dignity or self-control, and consequently unable 

 to control others. 



A scolding tongue is worse than a hornet's nest or a 

 drizzling rain in the house. It irritates, embitters, and 

 discourages. It never softens and convinces, and gently 

 conquers. If we grown-up people endure " scolding " 

 with such bad grace, consider its effect on the still more 

 sensitive soul of childhood. Better a good rousing tem- 

 pest, followed by clear deep skies of love and joy and 

 peace, than a continual dripping of fine but excessively 

 dampening sleet, and a perpetual east- wind of rebuke and 

 fault-finding ! 



Do not break your promise to the children, no matter 

 how trifling they may seem to you, any more than you 

 would evade some sacred pledge to a cherished friend. 

 What should the children be but cherished friends ? If 

 you would have them true and loyal, and "as good as 

 their word," you must be perfectly true to yourself in 

 your dealings with them. There is too much of tricky 



